The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-04-20
stinctively one recognizes the presence
of this terrible disease.

Dark gray eyes, as expressionless az
those of dead fish, look out at vol
from face that is as immobile as leath
er. Each facial muscle seems to have
lost its activity and no emotion car
make them play. This rigidity O
countenance gives leonine expression
that is most unpleasant, for the skin
thickened by the malady, remains al
most passive no matter how moved the
speaker may be with emotion. A closer
inspection shows that there is left but
a bare remnant of the nose and two
discolored protuberances in the fore.
head add Satyr cast to the face. His
appearance on this occasion was in
violent contrast with the languid
beauty of the scene, and was like a
canker spot on rose, for on all sides
nature had put on freshness of spring
and even the song-birds rioted in the
voluptuous air.
His dress was of the simplest char
acter, sort of blouse, pair of jeans
pants and a little cap, with wooden
sabots for the feet, made up his entire
costume. On closer scrutiny it was
noticed most of his fingers had dropped
off to the second joint, and in several
places on his hands there were patches
where the cuticle was taking off. Hold
ing knife clumsily in his remnant of
a hand, he was engaged in trimming
the dead wood from jasmine bush
that ornamented the front gallery in a
box Of earth. He was surprised that
visitors should care to call upon him,
as every body had always stunned his
presence; but he was willing to talk,
and, after the ice had been broken, be-
came quite loquacious about himself.
His father had been sufferer from
the disease many years before he was
taken of, and a younger sister also had
had it. He supposed he, too, should
one day die of if, but as his health was
good (?) he did not see why he might
not live to seventy-five, for he was now
sixty-three.
Entering the dwelling the two rooms
were found plainly furnished. In one
there were several chairs, table and
a lounge, covered with rawhide. In
the other, small single bed, rock
ing-chair and a few colored prints of
the saints and sandy landscape. A
cypress armoir, probably of home man.
ufacture, stood in one corner. from the
interior of which came the faint, sickly
fragrance of the plaintain leaf A few
dishes on a shelf completed the outnt.
1t was noticed there We're no utensils
for cooking, and when he was ques-
toned regarding his mode of prepar-
ing his meals he pointed with that hor-
rible hand over beyond the adjoining
belt of wood. His cousin lived there,
and three times a day sent his meals
to little shed on the boundary line of.
his land and left them. With his own
dishes he repaired thither, emptied the
into them, and returned to his
house, so that he never saw the person
brin ging them. This was to prevent
any possible communication of the dis
ease. 1t was by the little shed that he
held intercourse with the outside world.
Twice during the past year he had
found letters there, one from Il nephew
in France and one from his step-mother
living in Missouri, very old lady who
could still see how to write Yes, it
was a wearisome life, but he was used
to it. He cultivated his rice, cut it,
and carried it to the shed. His cousin
then took it to the rice mill, where it
was threshed and sold to New Orleans
merchants. His cousin returned him
the money in the same way. When he
wanted any thing he left note with
The money in the shed, and he knew in
q few days he would get what he
asked. He did not need much. A
little perique tobacco. some powder
md shot in winter, and a bottle of wine
or Christmas times. He did not wear
out many clothes. "LonesomeP 1t was
Turing the nights; they were sometimes
very, very long, but he had his dog,
md that was company" He believed |
hat man must have some living thing
With him or he would die His dog
Pope was a great consolation. He did
lot care to see the outside world much,
,ut he would like to see locomotive
'nce before he died. He had heard so
much about them and how fast they
vent along the road with heavy loads
,ehind them. He had seen a picture
# them. 1t was left in the front road
" man who was selling medicine in
wagon.
And so he talked on in harsh, graf
ne voice, Pope standing beside him
ooking up into his face wistfully. as if
o ask what was going on. The dog
lways kept one eye on the visitors,
lot for moment showing that he. in
he least, was cajoled by their blandish-
nents toward him.
The old man showed his fishing lines,
nd crawfish nets, his axe, that once
e could WELD with any man, and from
nder the house dragged out his
irogue, cut from Il solid cypress log.
lie had long since given up padding,
Or people along the bayou did not like
0 meet him even on the water.
here was something very pathetic
4 his manner when he went
0 the old cypress armoir and
ook out an old fashioned daguerreotype
4 a morocco case. He fondled it for a